Macomb County honors those who served America

A woman walks through the Field of Honor flag memorial just after the dedication finished at Resurection Cemetery. Each of the flags was dedicated to a fallen soldiere.(The Macomb Daily/RAY J. SKOWRONEK)

A little cold and rain wasn’t about to keep Matt Lambert away from a ceremony honoring those veterans, living and deceased, who served America.

“They did great for us,” said Lambert, a Clinton Township resident. “I come out and support them.”

Lambert was one of dozens of men and women, veterans and non-veterans, who braved a raw November day Monday to attend Resurrection Cemetery’s annual Veterans Day ceremony.

Each year, the cemetery staff invites local dignitaries, veterans and the public to pay tribute to those who served in the military – some of whom paid the ultimate price.

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An especially poignant element of the ceremony is a display of U.S. flags adorned with the names and photographs of military personnel from Michigan who gave their lives while serving in America’s latest conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. This year, 271 flags lined the cemetery lawn near the veterans memorial.

“We enjoy our freedoms today because of the men and women who have served since the founding of this country,” said Robert Cannon, Clinton Township supervisor and master of ceremonies at the event.

Col. William Sheehy, manager of the U.S. Army’s Heavy Brigade Combat Team and recipient of a host of medals and military honors, served as keynote speaker for the Veterans Day ceremony.

In a nod to the umbrella-toting attendees, Sheehy reminded his audience of the significance of the day.

“This is a beautiful day, the colonel said. “You’re here in Michigan, in the United States of America. Celebrate this day. Celebrate the veterans who served this country.”

Among those in attendance Monday were 91-year-old Joseph Radulski of Roseville and his son, Gary. Joseph served in such diverse locations as the Aleutian Islands as well as France and Germany during World War II.

“I put my three years in,” Joseph Radulski responded, displaying the typical “no-big-deal” attitude of the members of what’s been called the “Greatest Generation.”

Gary followed up by serving in Vietnam, and combined with his grandfather, a World War I veteran, the Radulskis boast three generations of military service in their family.

“We do owe a lot to (veterans),” Cannon said. “… Every day that we can honor our veterans, we do it.”